


Rebuilt

by the_impatient_panda



Category: Resident Evil (Movieverse)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Rebuilding, Reunification
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:53:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25431922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_impatient_panda/pseuds/the_impatient_panda
Summary: The Umbrella Corporation is destroyed, the virus has been released, and Alice....Alice is almost human again. With Claire by her side to help her rebuild, humanity just might stand a chance after all.WARNING: INCOMPLETE This one has a beginning, middle, and end. Some scenes are well fleshed out, some are little more than two or three sentence descriptors. But is a total story, with all the important bits filled in.
Relationships: Alice/Claire Redfield
Kudos: 29





	Rebuilt

The first week Alice spent wholly human, she mostly slept.

“It’s normal, I think,” Gena said, Doc’s usual nurse when the encampment still had a semblance of a medbay. “Or at least: it doesn’t surprise me. She took an absolute beating, physically and mentally. As it is, I think she’s just lucky not to be comatose. Or insane.”

“Jury’s still out on that one,” Alice quipped from her pile of blankets, eyes just a sliver of pale green in the low light. Her companions paused, then turned back to one another as a soft snore came forth and the eyes closed once more.

“But...she’s alright. As far as you can tell,” Claire pressed, arms crossed worriedly over her chest. 

“As far as I can tell, yes,” Gena agreed quietly. “Which is to say...if she hadn’t just survived the apocalypse and saved the world, I would think this is just exhaustion. What you’re really trying to ask without asking...I don’t know. I don’t have the equipment or the expertise to know what the T-virus did to her, or to know what removing it will do.”

“Ok. Thanks, for looking after her. And putting up with me.”

“I’m sorry about Doc.”

“We all are.”

Sometimes the lies are easier. Doc was a good doctor, beloved by many. To make him the enemy now was...pointless. Fruitless. An exercise in futility and likely to divide the settlement right down the center. And they had much, much bigger fish to fry.

Racoon City was, for the time being, a center of safety. Undead that came within a mile radius of its borders immediately dropped dead. Deep recon missions into uncharted and untouched parts of the city were being carried out every day, leaf blowers and air guns now being the weapon of choice. Any undead found in a sealed area away from the antivirus only needed a whiff of fresh air to keel over and never move again. 

Not having to worry about how much noise they made meant reconstruction efforts could move at a quicker pace, and the permanently dead were all disposed in the belly of the beast. It would take thousands more corpses than they actually had to fill the hole where the Hive used to be. And much to everyone’s surprise, the Red Queen still lived.

My generators will continue to supply power to my computer network for at least another three or four decades, she explained to Claire as they watched over the sleeping Alice on the second day. And I have much to offer of value to you. Knowledge, for one.

“And you're offering this to us for free?” Claire asked, always the skeptic.

Alice is now the sole owner of the Umbrella Corporation. Alicia's will was quite explicit, and Wesker's death makes it official. She controls it all, including me. You are her Ally, and until she is functioning again I have given you nominal clearance to act as her deputy for the area of Racoon City. When she is awake, Alice can decide for herself whether or not to confirm my decision.

“And what does that mean right now?”

It means I can tell you where all the supply depots were dropped outside the city and using my satellites determine how safe they are to approach at this time. It was determined early on that anything left in the appropriate sort of container would be left alone by most denizens of the undead.

“Now that I can work with.”

-&-

Alice woke for the first time at night, and realized to her shock that she wasn't alone. The warm bundle beside her breathed slow and deep, and briefly turning her head towards them told her who it was. 

Claire. 

She tried to be silent. Even if the city was now 'safe’, Claire would still be pushing herself too hard. First awake, last to bed, and twice as many shifts on guard rotation as everyone else. Any sleep was precious.

But a week of getting up only to piss and gulp down some soup before passing out again did not make one ready for stealth. And Alice wasn't sure which was more embarrassing, that she fell out of the bed or that she nearly took the other woman with her.

“Huh?!” Claire nearly leapt out of bed from the thump, and stared down at the sprawled Alice with utter incomprehension. “What....what happened?”

“I have to pee,” Alice groaned, wondering if this was a human thing. The way her face felt hot and her limbs like limp noodles attached to her shoulders and hips. Her memories at the mansion seemed...fuzzy, even now. But it fit quite well with what Alicia remembered of being a young girl. Arms and legs unwilling or unable to do what was asked of them, and the usual resulting mess. 

“I don’t recommend doing it there,” Claire said as she stood up, revealing what looked like hospital scrubs.

“Did you switch professions while I was gone?” Alice asked as she was hauled unceremoniously to her feet.

“Nope, Queenie led us to a med supply dump. Having something to wear to bed other than what you sweated in all day is a luxury too good to pass up, even if they are a bit scratchy.” Helping Alice maneuver down the hall. 

“Queenie?”

“The Red Queen. Makes her feel less threatening, calling her Queenie.”

“And she’s helping you?” incredulous.

“According to her, you own her. And the rest of the Umbrella Corporation. Until you’re back on your feet, she’s ‘deputized’ me or something to act in your stead. And that includes helping us.”

“...how is she still running? We blew up the Hive, didn’t we?”

“Most of it, yes. Apparently missed her backup generators, which she said can run for a couple of decades. It's creepy as hell, but we need her.”

“...yeah, I guess we do.” Pushing Claire away. “Ok, I’ve got this.”

“I’m just outside-”

“Yes, now go before my dignity suffers even more.”

“You have dignity?”

“Out!” But grinning. She pees, cleans herself up, realizes she’s also wearing the hospital scrubs. Wonders who helped her change. Stumbles back out into Claire’s arms. “Is there somewhere else you want me to sleep?”

“Hm?”

“I’m in your room, aren’t I?”

“Uh...yeah. Is that a problem?” Not meeting her eyes.

“No, I just don’t want to keep waking you up. You must be exhausted, keeping everything together, and-”

“It’s fine. I, uh...I don’t like being alone while I sleep. Got used to always having someone around when I was in the Caravan.” Snorting a bit. “For awhile there...we had so many people, you just...found a spot and it didn’t matter if you were half on top of someone or they were half on top of you. We just didn’t have room.”

“Finding and creating zombie-proof vehicles isn’t as easy as you make it seem?”

“Exactly. The frame has to be able to take the extra weight, the wheels and gearing have to be right for any terrain. Big tires are a must. It's hell on gas mileage, but if it means you can get away...you do it.”

“One of the others won’t come to sleep with you? Let me guess: you snore.”

“Ha, no I do not thank you very much. No, it's...it’s Doc. Him and Abigail were the only ones I really got close to. Maybe he did that on purpose. The others want to spread out, to have their privacy. To them, having a door they can shut and lock for the night with only themselves or one or two others on the inside feels right.”

“And you aren’t one of them.”

“No, I’m not. But if you want to be alone-”

“It’s fine.” Because she owes Claire...everything. And she would do anything for her friends.

“I’m a big girl, Alice. I can-”

“I don’t like sleeping alone either.” Quietly. “It...um, it makes me feel like I don’t belong.”

“You don’t snore, right?” Teasing. “Because...I mean, I can sleep through some snoring but-”

“Of course not.” Grinning. She thumps back to the bed when Claire lets go, and groans as she rolls herself back to her side. The thin mattress is the best she’s felt in...she can’t remember the last time she slept on anything approaching a real bed. Claire climbs in beside her and wraps herself in the blankets (also hospital quality, she notices for the first time) and lays facing the door. Alice doesn’t miss the firearm on the table, within arm’s reach. Some habits will probably take years to fade.

Claire did snore, but it was the comforting sort. A whistling susurration of breath that told her companion she was still there, still alive. 

Alice couldn’t remember the last time she fell asleep so at peace.

-090-

With waking came hunger, and with that hunger sated came strength. And with strength came restlessness. 

“You don’t need to follow me around all day,” Claire said as she paused in the courtyard of their new headquarters, accepting a sheet from one of the runners before scribbling something back and sending him on his way. “You’re still recovering-”

“I need to move,” Alice cut in dourly. “And its either this or I go back out hunting monsters-”

“Not until you’re better.”

“Then you’d better get used to having a shadow.”

“I guess so.” Smiling a bit.

Something with the Red Queen. Explain explain explain. Alice makes the deputization official, and the Red Queen locates another supply depot. This one mainly tech based. With it she can stay in constant contact with Alice (earpiece) and help the settlement build a better comm system plus boost their ability to reach the other settlements by radio. So they head out.

The convoy is still a bit thin. Three vehicles, a few hours ride outside town. They have to kill some undead, but they have the bullets to do so now. No one is lost, and they grab most everything there. Its a win. Alice is worn out, but it feels good to be out and on her feet again. She works well with Claire, and people naturally respect her and follow her leadership. She realizes she can still sense the infection in the undead, and makes a note to ask the Queen when they get back.

The Queen pauses for a moment.

I cannot be certain, but it is possible there will be some lingering side effects from the T-virus for a time. Abilities may take awhile to fade.

“Like my ability to sense the infected.”

Yes.

Claire is distracted by one of the runners, and misses what Alice says next to the Queen. She turns back a few minutes later, “I’m heading to the main hall, you coming?”

“Hm?” Looking up. “No, no I...I’ll meet you there for dinner.”

“Ok.” Going on about her work.

Alice turns back to the Queen. “Show me again.”

-090-

Dinner was quiet, and Alice was surprised when Claire chose to turn in early for once as she yawned out her decision to head to sleep.

“Don’t you have more work to do?” she asked teasingly.

“There’s always more work to do,” Claire replied with a shrug. “And there isn’t always time for friends.”

“Oh.” Feeling a bit warm. “Thanks.”

It's a little weird getting ready for sleep at the same time. Neither one is exactly shy, but they also aren’t used to someone else being there. Or being awake might be the better term, maybe. Alice decides the best way forward is just to break the ice.

“Tell me a story.”

“What story do you want to know?”

“How did you meet Carlos?”

“...ah.” Smiling a bit. “The good old days, hm?”

“Those were the good old days?”

“Feels like it, sometimes. We won more than we lost then. We saved people. We made a difference. It wasn’t until almost a year later that everything started going downhill.”

“When the supplies started to run out and the dead started to overrun everything.”

“Yeah.”

“And Carlos...?”

“We were in California, working our way North. It was dangerous that time of year, but we were trying to find a safe path through the mountains, work our way back east. San Francisco was a cesspit of undead, and 100 miles in every direction it was stupidly dangerous. That was also the last year we were able to scavenge fresh food from the land. Best damn grapes I can ever remember having, right off a vine...”

“And Carlos?”

“He and and woman named Valentine were heading south, tracking someone. Her name was Sophie, I think.”

“...oh.”

“You knew her?”

“...yeah, both of them, a long time ago. I never found out what happened to either one.”

“Carlos didn't want to talk about it. We met up just as our old head of security died of an infection. The regular kind, annoyingly enough. Carlos was a perfect fit, I could tell the second we let them into camp, and so we made a deal. They needed supplies, and we needed Carlos. We sent someone else with Valentine, and said we'd meet up in a few days.”

“Except you didn't.”

“No. Never saw her again. Eventually, we had to move on. He understood, but...it was hard.”

“She lived, for awhile at least. Got caught by Umbrella again.”

“How?”

“I don't know. We met up, she tried to kill me. They were controlling her like they controlled you. Thankfully, she remembered who I was a lot faster than you did. Got her free, and ran. Thought it was towards safety, it ended up being a trap.”

“She died?”

“Maybe, but I hope not.” Taking a deep breath. “I have a daughter.”

“A what?”

Snorting softly. “Is it that hard to believe?”

“When? And with who?”

“Ok, this is going to take a little bit...” Explain explain explain...

“So...she’s not your daughter.”

“Yes, she is.”

“No, I mean...you didn’t find time in the middle of the apocalypse to get pregnant, carry to term, give birth, and raise her until she’s 7 or 8 on your own.”

“Oh...no.”

“Ok. So what happened to her?”

“When we got to D.C., Wesker had this plan. It was risky, and he would only tell me and a few others what it was. I should have known then that everything wasn’t as it seemed. Valentine stayed with ____ and Becky, did some asking around. They were evacuating some children who came with another convoy. They’d heard about a small settlement holding its own up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and had a good escape route planned. I sent Becky with them, in case things went south, and I sent Valentine along to make sure she made it.”

“Did they?”

“I never found out. That was...maybe a month ago? In two weeks, Wesker had betrayed us and everyone except me was dead. I was contacted by Queenie, and came here. Almost died, saved the world, slept for a week. And now we’re here.”

“...you’re leaving again.”

“Yes, but not for what you think.”

“You haven’t even recovered-”

“I have enough for what I need to do. For what you need me to do.”

“And what do I need, Alice?” Flatly.

“A reliable communications relay and a way to track the antivirus on the air currents. Queenie has a way to do both, using short-wave relays and boosters strategically placed around the city with sensors attached and the whole thing solar powered.”

“Why you?”

“Because its outside the zone of safety, and I can still sense the undead. I can make the team safer, even if its just by being there and giving advance warning of trouble.”

“Queenie has her satellites...”

“Those don’t cover everything, and they only work during the day. If I can help bring people back safely, then I have to go. I have to. I won’t be able to live with myself if we send out a team without me and even one of them doesn’t make it back.”

Hard stare. “...yeah.”

“Yeah?” Relieved. 

“I... can't go with you.”

“...right. They need you here.” 

“Yeah.” Clearing her throat. “But I can give you our best.”

“Other than you?” Smirking.

“Yeah, other than me.”

Sprawled together on the bed. 

“Are you going to be alright sleeping by yourself while I’m gone?” Poking at her.

“Please, you snore.”

“I do not!”

“Totally do.”

“Well...so do you.”

“Liar.”

“...I wish you were going with me.”

“Me too.” Clearing her throat. “You’d better come back.”

“I will.”

“Because eventually we’re going to find Becky, and I don’t want to be the one to have to tell her that her mom’s not coming.”

“...thanks for that.”

“I mean it.”

“So do I.”

-&-

Alice's team. Three guys, two girls. A mechanic (in case the vehicle breaks down) tech radio specialist, a nurse, muscle, and speed. The armored tank has a motor bike for short forays out. They sleep in shifts so they never have to stop moving. Alice gets very close to one of the guys. They joke about sleeping together, but he’s gay and she’s into Claire. Its all fun and games, doesn’t realize Claire is taking it seriously. His name is Darrin.

Alice can usually sense the undead from the roof, and spends most of her time there when not sleeping. Mechanic, radio and nurse take turns driving. Alice, muscle and speed keep the watches. And Queen now rides in Alice's ear all the time. 

They're gone for a week or two at a time. Radio bursts back to New Racoon are possible, short 'letters from home’. The Queen is tracking the virus's progress, and in general directs their routes. They find tools, weapons, wipe out nests of undead and set up radio relays to make communication easier. They also mark good spots for future settlements.

Each time they return, they have a party. They finally have some fresh food (seeds found in an abandoned greenhouse outside the city) and with that has come a rough sort of wine. The area where the antivirus is spreading is slowly becoming verdant again. 

Grammy was just what the name implied: a shriveled old woman with a cloud of white hair and the same apron she'd been wearing the day the world ended. Her husband was taken unawares in the barn, but his screams gave his wife time to grab the shotgun and protect herself. Her first instinct, to get to their family up north, was not to be. She found others, and then they were found by more others. And eventually they settled in the heart of the Racoon City remains when it became clear her farmhouse was just not going to cut it anymore.

And just like her name implied, she knew everything there was to know about growing, cooking and fermenting food.

“Stereotype much?” Alice asked the first time she met the elder, flour dusting her hands and a well-worn apron about her waist.

Claire rolled her eyes. “I didn't name her, alright? And you try calling her by her name.”

“Which is...?”

“Ermintrude.”

“.... Grammy it is.”

“You there,” Grammy said, catching Alice’s eye. “You look like a woman who knows her way around a knife.”

“A little,” the blonde admitted with a grin.

“Good, get over here and dice those potatoes. This stew won’t cook itself!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

A few hours later, when Alice was finally released to go eat her dinner, Claire found her massaging her hands as she let the hard bread from the rations they brought back soften in her stew. 

“You left me with a slave-driver,” the blonde accused her laughing friend as she stretched the aching limbs over and over again. “And after I brought you back a couple crates of new weapons to play with. That’s just unkind.”

“Aww, you couldn’t handle Grammy?”

“Do you?” Flatly.

“No, and if she tried to take over she probably could. Even Gavin minds his mouth around her, and do you know I think Queenie is a little intimidated by her? She’s one of the few who uses the interface and doesn’t seem to mind interacting with her.”

“What does she use it for?” Curious.

“Recipes. That stew is one she found somewhere in Queenie’s logs.”

“Impressive. It does not mean I forgive you for leaving me in her clutches.”

“Hm...I mean, I was going to tell you I asked a couple of the guys to draw you an actual hot bath in my rooms for after you eat, but if you’re still mad at me...”

“Fine, I relent! You take private baths in your rooms now? Turning into a pampered princess, hm?”

“Anyone can take a hot bath now. We don’t have the plumbing sorted out enough to run it straight to people’s homes, but we do have tanks that hold about fifteen gallons each and aren’t too difficult to push to wherever you need them. There is one centralized shower area, but the lines are long this time of day and-” Checking her watch. “The last work party into the city should be coming in soon. They’ll stink to high heaven, and you won’t want to be anywhere near the showers until they’re done and its had a good half hour airing.”

“Why?” Curious. 

“They’re clearing out a warehouse next to our base, preparing it to be added in. The basement was flooded, and had bodies in it. We have respirators and proper cleaning supplies, thanks to Queenie, but the stench settles into everything.”

“...right. A bath it is.” Standing up. Claire does to. Alice pauses and glances at her. 

“What?” Claire.

“I can bathe myself, you know.”

“I would assume so.” Confused.

“So you aren’t-?”

“Oh, you thought-...no, no I have to go get the report from the work crew. Check their progress, maybe seen about rebalancing teams if our timeline gets off track.”

“Right.” Turning red.

Smirking. “I mean, if you need help rinsing your hair so you don’t get soap in your eyes-”

“I’m good.”

“Good.” Smiling all the more. “See you later.”

“Yeah.”

Its a glorious, hot bath. She also doesn’t linger, for reasons she’s not entirely sure she wants to admit to herself. Claire is back at her usual time, and they talk about the settlement’s progress and growth. A small convoy found its way in while Alice was gone. Claire mentions one of the guys reminds her of Carlos.

“You know...if you ever find yourself needing me to vacate...”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“I don’t mind, Claire. And you...whoever Doc was to you, and whoever he ended up being, you don’t owe him or anyone else anything, alright? If you find someone, you should go for it.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah. You don’t know if you have tomorrow, so better to enjoy today than regret something that might have been.”

“Wise words from someone who’s only...what, 12 years old?”

“Shut up!” Pillow whack. “I am not 12.”

“Oh, trust me, I know...” Laughing. 

Claire gets a call, when she gets back Alice is passed out. And she’s leaving again in the morning. 

Claire sighs. Maybe next time.

-090-

A party with alcohol! Its only a small batch, so there’s not that much to go around, but when you haven’t had any in years even a small drink or two is nice.

There’s dancing, and both of them get asked to dance more than once. Eventually, they end up back at the table, laughing and exhausted and pleasantly buzzed. Leaning on each other in their seats. Alice is yawning around every other word, and Claire finally pulls her up to go to sleep. It was a long trip out and back, and Claire was hyper vigilant the entire 8 days they were in the danger zone. They end up cuddling because, buzzed, and Claire stays awake wondering if Alice knows. 

Alice wakes up and wonders if she gave something away she didn’t mean to. Rather than actually face Claire, she gets up and finds her team ready and raring to go. So they do. Queenie has their next mission set, and they go before most of the settlement is even awake. Plan to return in two weeks. 

The plan is derailed when they find an unexpected cache of something. An old farmstead, hidden in a valley? A Beekeeper! And a storehouse full of HONEY!! Because Honey lasts forever, and never goes bad. They load up every single bit they can take back, and return early. Alice tells Queenie NOT to tell the settlement, she wants to surprise everyone. They don’t give the heads up until they are right outside, and roll in triumphantly in the early hours of the morning. Each of them grabs a small half-jar for themselves, then gives the rest over to Grammy who is over the moon.   
Claire is in her rooms sleeping, took a shift late that night. Alice heads up to surprise her, honey in hand. 

She makes it to the door, and cracks it open. Immediately hears something that makes her freeze. Claire is clearly ‘helping herself out’ in the bed, and a quick glance ascertains that she is in fact alone. Alice quickly backs out, and is back in the kitchen before she realizes it. 

“Something wrong, sugar?” Grammy.

Alice, quickly. “No, I’m just...starving. And thought Claire might appreciate breakfast too. Can I make a tray?”

“Course you can. Take some porridge and some of that hash. Bet it’ll taste like a whole new meal with some honey to go on it.”

“I bet so, too.” Grinning, in spite of herself.

When she gets back to the room, she makes sure to knock, loudly. 

“Come in.”

“Hey, guess who’s back with a surprise?” Pointedly not looking at the bed, carrying in the tray.

“What-....is that honey?”

“Yes, it is. We found an old bee keeper’s place, halfway to our next stop. Decided this was far more important for once.”

Claire tastes it. “Mmm...how much?”

“More than we could carry back. And there were two entire buildings we didn’t even check out.”

“Where did you find it?”

“A hidden valley, there wasn’t even a road to this place. It was probably just a dirt lane before it all went south. We went in, hoping to avoid a pack of undead. Instead of finding a way through, we found something better.”

Settling in to eat. “...it’s good to see you.”

“Good to see you too.” Soft smiles. Alice’s stomach growls. She helps herself to the second bowl. “So...anything new while I was gone?” Wondering who she was thinking of.

“You were only gone three days.” Teasing. “That’s hardly enough time.”

“True, I just thought...maybe a convoy or...sometimes things happen quickly.”

“Yeah, sometimes, but not this time.” Licking the honey off her fingers. Alice tries not to stare. “We’ll have to get back out there soon, gather up the rest.”

“Do we have room?”

“The warehouse is almost ready. The last of the water was pumped out a week ago, now we’re just scrubbed it within an inch of its life and shoring up the walls and foundation.”

“We’ll head back out tomorrow, then. Hit the original mission, then pick up more honey on the way back. If we need to make a third trip, we’ll do it then.” Licking off her spoon.

“Sounds like a plan.” Grinning at her.

“So...I’m gonna change, maybe nap for a bit before seeing to our vehicles...”

“Right, I’ll take this then.” Clearing everything onto the tray. “Clean scrubs in the drawer if you want something else to sleep in.”

“Thanks.” Starting to unbutton her coat. “And leave the honey!”

“What, planning to eat it all yourself?”

“It’s my finder’s fee, and if you ask nice maybe I’ll share it with you.” Over her shoulder as she pulls off her boots. 

“Hm, I’ll think about it.”

Alice waits until the door is closed before approaching the bed. She sits on the edge of it, fingers playing with each other. She needs to find Becky. That’s her priority, her goal. She also can’t help feeling jealous that Claire might be latching on to someone else. Its just the way it is. She tries to tell herself its a good thing, Claire finding someone else. Then she can move on and focus on Becky and not on how good Claire smells or how seeing her waiting on the gate when they roll in make it feel like coming home...she rubs at her face and glances around. A bright color in the bedding catches her eye.

Its her jean shirt, buttoned over a pillow. She refuses to take it out on missions, because she doesn’t want to mess it up, but it's what she wears pretty much every day that she’s back in the settlement. Which means it probably smells like her. Which means....

Oh. 

She smiles. Tucks the pillow back in place and goes to get dressed. The door opens a moment later, and Claire sticks her head in trying to look calm and collected. 

“Forget something?” Alice asks from the bathroom, trying to tame the rats nest that is her hair. 

“I thought you were taking a nap,” Claire said from the direction of the bed.

“Changed my mind. Its a nice day out, and I can always sleep later. I hope you don’t mind, but I couldn’t find-” She steps out, and Claire is holding her shirt. “Oh, there it is. Do you want yours back, or...?”

Its a business like button-up, like most of Claire’s shirts. Its a little big on Alice, but in a nice way. 

“No,” Claire said quickly. “No, I just...it’s fine.” Quickly putting the shirt down. “Uh...looks good on you.” Trying to be casual.

“I’d steal it, but you’ve only got like...three shirts, so...”

“I wouldn’t mind.” Too quickly. Clears her throat again. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah.” With a soft smile. “I’m coming.”

She watches Claire more than usual. Enjoys the way she leads her people with easy confidence. Admires her quick thinking and fair judgement. Tries not to let her eyes linger too long on the curve of her waist and the strong column of her neck. Alice everyone is respectful and polite to. Except the children. 

“Alice!” one of them shouts, a small hoard that appears from behind them. “Alice, come quick!”

“What is it?” she asks, glancing around for trouble. It feels like its never far enough away to completely relax.

“Grammy wants you!”

“Did she say what for?” Suddenly wary.

“She’s making candy, and she said we can’t have any until you come try the first piece.”

Claire, to her quietly. “She probably said that to get them out from underfoot.”

“Probably.” Grinning. “Well, I don’t know if I can go right now, Claire’s got me working pretty hard-”

“Please, Miss Claire? Can Alice come get some candy with us?”

“You could come too. You’re in charge, Grammy would have to give you a piece too.”

“You should, Claire, Grammy has to listen to you.” Alice, teasing.

“No one tells that woman what to do,” Claire, under her breath.

“But are you going to tell them that?” Alice, pointing to the kids.

“...alright, just a quick trip over then,” Claire said, somehow unable not to show off a little in front of Alice. “But if Grammy says its not time, we leave her alone. Ok?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

As it turns out, they were just in time.

Grammy stood over her counter, carefully pulling the dark-brown taffy and folding it over itself again and again in practiced motions.

“Haven’t made taffy in years,” she said with a small smile when she spotted her audience. “Makes me think of...of before.”

Her grandchildren, Alice thought. And her nieces and nephews. An entire family tree, lost. 

“You’re very good at that, Grammy,” one of the littlest piped up with a grin. “Is it ready yet?”

“It should be chilled first, but...” Giving them a secretive smile. “I think we can skip a few steps, just this once.”

“Alice gets first taste!” Pushing the woman forward. “That’s what you said!”

“So I did, yes. Which she deserves, because Alice found the honey that made the candy possible in the first place.” Gravely handing over a small piece pulled from the rest. “You should all thank her for that.”

“Thank you Alice!”

“Yes, thank you!”

“Oh, guys, its...”

“Just say ‘you’re welcome,” Claire, to her quietly.

“...you’re welcome.” Trying the taffy. Its smooth and warm on her tongue and sweet, almost too sweet after years and years and years of hardly any sugar at all. And then a memory hits her like a fist to her ribs. 

A beach. Salt on the wind and the cries of white scavengers overhead. Sandals on her feet that rub the wrong way. A hand in hers. Her mother’s hand. And taffy. Sticky, sweet, a perfect treat on a perfect day-

“Alice?”

Her name is the release of the rubberband, rocketing her back to the present. She blinks, and feels damp on her cheeks. A swipe with one hand reveals that they are in fact wet. Tears? How-?”

“Alice, are you ok?” Claire, blocking her from the clamoring kids as they received their promised treat.

“Yeah, yeah I just...” Swiping hastily at her face. “Just a memory.”

“But why-”

“Claire?” One of the runners.

“Go on. I’ll meet up with you later.”

“Ok.” Claire leaves, but glances back at her frequently. Alice takes what’s left of her piece and finds somewhere private to savor it. The memory comes back again.

It was an unplanned day out. But the news from the doctor came the day before, and the first thing her mother did when she got up was call out of work. Her father still went in, a determined look in his eyes, but she and her mother went to the beach and ate taffy and chased seagulls and built a crumbling castle that was soon destroyed by the rising tide...

It was perfect. And the last time she was with her mother.

“There you are.”

Alice looked up, realized the sun was now significantly lower in the sky and her stomach a grumbling hollow.

“Sorry,” she said, not certain why she was apologizing. “I...uh...”

“Another memory.”

“...yeah, another memory.” Rubbing at her face. “Did you need me for something?”

“No, just worried about you.” Leaning against a wall, arms crossed. “Want to talk about it?”

“...I don’t know why I was crying. It was a good memory. A...a happy one.” Shaking her head. 

“Tell me about it.” Smiling. “I think we could all use a few more of those.”

“...ok.” Describe, describe, describe. “...it was a perfect day.”

“Wow.” Smiling softly. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever asked,” Alice said with a wry smile. “Who were you before the plague?”

“No one special.” Shaking her head. “Just a kid who joined the army reserves to pay for college. I didn’t have a big family, but I came from one of those communities where everyone knew everyone and everyone pitched in together for stuff. My grades weren’t good enough for scholarships, and my parents could barely pay the rent let alone for extra school, so...I did what I had to do.”

“Where were you when it happened?”

“It just happened to be a weekend I was out with my unit training. Easy access to weapons and supplies made surviving on the run easier than for most, but I never understood until recently how we were overrun so quickly.”

“The Umbrella Corporation.”

“Yes. They decided releasing a deadly virus upon the world wasn’t enough, they also mixed up and jammed communication signals across the world. It was child’s play when 80% of the satellites belonged to them.”

“You had family, though. Did you-?”

“No. Made it back to the old neighborhood once, a year or two later. Everything and everyone was gone. Didn’t spend too long looking around, didn’t want to run into any familiar faces.”

It was always harder when it was someone you knew.

“How did you put together the convoy?”

“Escaped the big city with two military issue humvees. As others joined us, we started adding more vehicles. At our biggest, we had nearly twenty all told.”

“That bus was pretty impressive.”

“I thought so. We got lucky, though. Found an old chop shop way out in the middle of nowhere, risked settling down for nearly a week to use the welding gear to fabricate what we needed. By the end it got a little hairy, an over-enthusiastic newcomer used a grenade to take out a pack coming too close, which of course brought every undead within miles to breathe down our neck.”

“I take it he didn’t last long.”

“I never lost sleep over losing the dumb ones. If I remember right, he’s the same one who insisted his old jalopy could keep up. Engine started to go out, and he insisted on keeping it around. No one wanted to ride with him, they knew if it died in a tight spot then they weren’t going to escape.”

“Which is what happened.”

“No, actually. It refused to start one morning, and he insisted he could fix it. Stayed behind, never saw him again. When we came back that way a few months later, the jalopy was still there, and he wasn’t. We siphoned off the gas, took the supplies he kept stashed in the trunk including some very good weed he’d decided to hoard for himself, and kept on rolling.”

“You can’t fix stupid.” Grinning.

“No, you cannot.” Grimly. 

Alice. The Red Queen in her ear piece. I have news.

Alice pulls out the holoprojector so Claire can hear too.

The communications relay has picked up a message from another settlement. And I believe they are in trouble.

-090-

“The undead aren’t sentient,” Claire argued as she stared down at the printed map. “I mean, no more than, say, a really dumb cat. They act purely on instinct-”

But instinct can be a powerful motivator, and it seems the undead have finally realized that there is something on the wind coming for them. This weather front is pushing a large amount of the anti-virus with it, and the undead that see it coming are fleeing towards the East Coast. It can’t outrun it forever, but they can possibly reach the settlement before they are overtaken by the winds.

“Look at the hoard, Claire. It's hundreds, maybe thousands.” Studying the images on the screens. “Their settlement may be a fortress, but even they won’t be able to withstand an attack from that. Especially at this time of the year, no snow to slow them down...”

“Shit.” Looking away. “Shit, shit, shit-”

There is a possibility I have considered.

“What’s that?”

The hoard may be baited into turning back towards the wind.

“Baited. You mean given a juicy target to dangle in front of it.”

Yes. A seemingly defenseless convoy, for instance.

“We don’t have that many vehicles-”

If you decide to go through with this, there is a depot halfway between here and the mountain settlement. It should have the vehicles and fuel you need to make the plan work- if you can reach it safely.

“That doesn’t sound good.” Claire, muttered. “How big is this settlement?”

A few hundred, I believe, though it is difficult to tell when most of their population remains in underground bunkers.

“That far north, it makes sense.”

There is more.

“Of course there’s more.”

One of my primary functions when Wesker was still in control was to monitor certain individuals and keep track of their movements. 

“We know.” Alice, dryly.

I believe you know one of them well. She is called Valentine. And I believe she is at the settlement.

-090-

Claire sat and watched as Alice packed.

“It’s a volunteer mission,” the smaller woman said as she carefully checked and rechecked the guns she’d taken as her own after the end of the world. “I won’t take anyone who doesn’t want to go. We could be gone for a couple of months, and it's going to be very dangerous.”

“I know.” Quietly.

Alice pauses. “...you know I have to go.”

“Yeah, I do.” Finally looking up. “And it's not the first time I’ve watched you walk into danger, but it gets harder every time.”

“I’m sorry.” Finally looking up. “I...I need to tell you something.”

“It’s ok, I already know.” Standing quickly. “And I’m really happy for you. He’s probably going with you, right?”

“...what?”

“You and Darrin. It's only natural, you spend weeks together on the road, and the rest of your team is shacked up.” Grabbing one of her shirts and putting it in Claire’s bag. “You should take this, you don’t have enough clothes to be gone that long. And it's going to get cold, so some extra layers will probably help.”

“No, Claire, I can’t-....you don’t-”

“No, really, I understand. This is one of the bigger rooms, but god knows you’ve earned it. Do you want to stay here and have me move out? I...it’s just me, so I don’t mind finding something else.”

“Of course not!”

“He’ll probably want you to move to his place, then-”

“I’m not moving in with Darrin!”

“Why not? It seems silly to pretend-”

“I’m not pretending! He’s-....first off, he’s gay. And secondly, I’m trying to tell you that I know about the pillow!”

“...what pillow?” Instantly guilty.

“Fucking hell, Claire...I do not do feelings well, alright? And most of the time it's simple, because most of the time I was fairly sure I wasn’t going to live more than another week or two.” Rubbing her face. “But for the first time, I have an actual life ahead of me and...and I want you to be apart of it, but I don’t know how to do that and I’m just terrified I’m going to fuck it all up-!” Throwing her hands up. “Holy fucking hell, why is this so hard?!”

“Are you...are you trying to tell me...what? That you...like me?” To herself. “Good god, it's like I’m back in middle school.”

Something about those words triggers a memory in Alice, and she freezes. Then shudders. “Yes,” she agreed quietly. “Exactly like middle school. Fuck.” Looking well. “As if I needed more confirmation that she was basically me-!”

“So this is basically how she did it too? Or you did it before? However it's supposed to be.”

“Yeah.” Face red. “I’m still hoping this one ends better...” Finally meeting her eyes. “You matter to me, ok? Far more than...than anyone besides Becky has in a really long time.”

“You matter to me too.” Catching her fingers. “And, um...sorry about your shirt?”

“Don’t be. I bet it smells amazing now.” Wide grin. 

“Oh, so we’re jumping straight to that now?” Laughing.

“You were the one fucking a pillow with my shirt on it, not the other way ar-mph!”

Claire didn’t do half-measures, she really didn’t see the point when so much uncertainty existed in their lives. Which is why ten minutes later when someone knocked on their door, Alice’s pants were already around her knees and Claire was two fingers deep into a fantasy she never thought would play out for real.

“Shit.” Breathed into Alice’s neck. Over her shoulder. “This better be the fuckin’ emergency of the century!”

“I need to talk to Alice!”

“What about?”

“She’s got 50 volunteers for her suicide mission!”

“What?!” Alice, finally jerked from pleasant euphoria of being Claire’s plaything. “50? You have to be-!” Kissing Claire. “To be continued?”

“Ah, fuck.” Pulling her hand out of Alice and then licking it clean. Alice’s mouth goes dry. “Hope you don’t plan on getting much sleep tonight.”

“Promises, promises...” 

Pulling her close again. “You’re leaving for possibly months. You bet your ass I’m not letting you sleep tonight.”

“Alice? Claire? I’m serious, I need some help or we’re gonna have a riot out here-!”

“Coming!”

“Not yet, you’re not-” Smirking. Alice pinches her. “Hey! Oh shit-”

“What?” Pausing at the door. 

“Wear this.” Grabbing a different shirt off the bed. “And button it all the way up.”

“Why, what- holy-!” It's an impressive display of bruises and bitemarks. “Trying to mark your territory?”

“Something like that.” Coming close again. “Gotta make sure the impression lasts as long as possible.”

“Trust me, you’re unforgettable.” Quick kiss. Buttoned all the way up. She shoves the door open and nearly runs into Darrin. “Well, move!”

It wasn’t quite a riot, but there are a lot of angry people.

“Ok, first thing,” Claire said as she sauntered into the mess hall. “I get the final say, volunteers or not, so quiet down or I’m going by myself!” The noise level immediately dropped. “The second thing is we’re going to be gone for a long time, so if you’re considered essential personnel to the town you aren’t coming. And if you have small kids, you aren’t coming.”

“Who decides who is essential personnel?”

“I do.” Claire, standing beside Alice. “And you definitely are, Mick. Literally no one else can run the welder except you, and you keep dragging your feet teaching a few of the others who want to learn. This is the result: you’re staying put.”

“Ah, damn...”

They all figure it's going to be another hero story, like all the rest. She’s tried to explain she’s not a hero. She’s just as human as they are now. They don’t buy it, and Claire can’t blame them.

Eventually they get down to twenty. Two teams of ten. The second convoy is headed up by Darrin, in the event they get separated in the danger zones. Everyone is young and fit and able to drive, or shoot a weapon, or do basic first aid. Most of them can do two or all three. Alice leaves Darrin in charge making sure everyone has the gear they need, she has something else she needs to do.

Claire left when it was clear her help was no longer needed, promising to meet Alice back in their rooms later on. So as soon as Alice can shake off her duties, she heads that way. And arrives to find it empty, except for a giant empty tub and some clean towels and soap. 

“Ok, that’s not fair,” Claire said as she came in, rolling the tub of water behind her. “I thought I had at least another hour-”

“Don’t care. I’m here now.” Trying to close in.

“Ok, but not yet.”

“...what?”

“...Grammy is making us a tray, and I have another one of these waiting for me.” Tapping the twenty gallon container. “I need to go and get those first.”

“...you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Hey, I’m not the one shirking my job-” Grinning, dodging swipes. “How about I get the water, you get the food?”

“You’d better run!”

“I will,” hurrying away down the hall. Alice heads down to the kitchen. She doesn’t realize she’s smiling as much as she is until Grammy calls her on it.

“You’d better make that girl happy. She’s gonna pine for you the whole time you’re gone. Does so every time you leave.”

“Pine? Claire? Yeah, I’m not sure I believe that.”

“She’ll show up in my kitchen, three or four nights a week, not able to sleep. Sounds like pining to me.” Handing her the tray. “But what do I know? I’m just Grammy.”

“...right. Thanks, Grammy.”

“Get on, then. Go make her smile for awhile.”

So she did.

-090-

Alice woke from her light doze, wondering what time it was. Claire held her in the rapidly cooling tub, one hand stroking patterns along her back as the other kept her propped up out of the water. 

“You’re back? And here I was, thinking I’d put the amazing Alice under in less than three hours.”

“Oh, you wish.” Turning around to snuggle into the other woman more firmly. “What say we get out of this tub, dry off and take this party to the bed for a while?”

“It does open the door to some delectable possibilities.” Deep kiss. They make a much bigger mess than they meant to, and are only half-dry when they tumble into the bed. But neither one really cares as flesh melds to flesh in the heated embrace. It's been very obvious that Claire has more experience than Alice, but at the same time Alice is enthusiastic and a quick learner. And she has Alicia’s memories. For a woman stuck in a wheelchair, she had a surprising amount of sex.

Its the very early house of dawn when they finally slow down, dozing lightly together in a tangle of sweat and sex and sheets. 

“You’re coming back,” Claire murmured against the pale throat.

“Promise,” Alice replied faintly. “And have I ever broken a promise?”

“...not to me.”

“I’m not going to start now.”

“Ok.”

“You should stay here and get some sleep while you can. Give you a couple hours of rest before you face everyone else and the fact that they all now know I’m a much better lover than Doc ever was.”

“I was not that loud.”

“I beg to differ.” Smirking. Quick kiss, and getting up. Claire rolls over to watch her get ready. She realizes she’s leaving the jean shirt behind.

“You might need that. It gets cold in the mountains.”

“Don’t worry, I’m taking this one instead.” Its the button up Claire gave her the night before. “Though it's going to need a little work...someone ripped a few buttons off.”

“That’s horrible.”

“I know.” Leaning over for a last kiss. “Don’t forget about me.”

“Never.” Cupping one cheek. “Hurry back with Becky.”

“We will.” Pausing in the doorway. “I-”

“Don’t.”

“Really?” Surprised. 

“When you come back. That’s when I want to hear it.”

“...ok.” Wide smile. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

-090-

The trip out. Trials and tribulations. They eventually make it to the depot, get the extra vehicles they need. Darrin keeps teasing her about Claire. The hickeys take weeks to fully fade in some cases. Then they reach the back edge of the hoard, and there’s nothing else to think about but the work in front of them. 

-090-

Claire keeps Queenie with her constantly, tracking Alice and the progress of the convoy. 

Marks their successes and failures. 

Then they lose their first vehicle. 

-090-

Alice knows it's not her fault, but it's still hard not to feel responsible.

“Everyone here knows the risks,” Darrin said as he sat beside her in the belly of their armored tank, sharing a bottle back and forth. It wasn’t alcohol, but it was nice to pretend. “And honestly, we’re lucky we lasted this long without a casualty. I was fairly sure only one convoy was going to make it out here at all, and it was probably going to be yours.”

“Don’t be an ass, Darrin. I’m not perfect.”

“No, but I’m pretty sure someone up there wants you alive considering everything you’ve escaped. You’re practically Wonder Woman.”

“Not anymore.” Shaking her head. 

“To Harkins and Vernes, two damn fine people.”

“Two damn fine people,” Alice agreed. “How’s the weather pattern going?”

“Still working in our favor, mostly. Although there’s a shift to the south that worries me.”

“How so?”

“Just a warm front rising. If it comes from the wrong direction...I mean, its weather, so who knows. I’m probably just worrying needlessly.”

“Ok.”

-090-

Claire is doing something Queenie when Queenie pauses, looking upward, then goes,

That is not good.

“What?” on her guard.

The weather is changing.

-090-

“Half is good, it's not just good enough,” Alice said as she argued with Queenie through her earpiece. “You said it yourself, they’re on a direct path for the fortress, and even if they do survive the onslaught it will be with severe losses. It's just not acceptable.”

There is nothing else you can do. The weather patterns have shifted, and even drawing the hoard away there will be no ‘kill zone’ for you to take them to within an acceptable distance.

“Then we’ll draw them off anyways.”

-090-

“What aren’t you telling me?” Claire asked dangerously as the computer projection stared up at her impassively. After several months of looking at the holographic projection, she was getting better at reading the minute changes in expression that conveyed actual thoughts and feelings. And something was definitely not right. 

Something that is not currently your concern.

“That’s not good enough.”

I was instructed not to inform anyone here of what is going on.

“Which means it came from Alice, because she’s the only one with the power to do that. Tell me what’s happening! I demand to know!”

That is not how your deputyship works, Miss Claire. And you know that.

“Dammit!”

I will, of course, be monitoring them as always using the satellites. Do you wish to observe along with me, Miss Claire?

“Yes, I do. So when she fucking makes it back like she always fucking does I’ll know exactly how fucking much to yell at her!”

-090-

Danger, danger. People die, plans go wrong. Things explode. Undead die for good. 

They save the day.

-090-

“Stop right there!” a voice rang out as the convoy carefully approached the walls. “We may not have much, but it's trained on you and we’re ready to go down fighting! Who are you and why are you using Umbrella tech?”

“Is that you, Valentine?” Alice yelled back, hopping on top of her armored vehicle. “Because it fucking better be or I’ve come a long way for nothing!”

“Alice, you bitch!” Valentine yelled back, motioning to the other guards to drop their weapons.   
“Hope you brought your wallet! My private escort and security services do not come cheap!”

“She’s with you?” Not daring to say the name aloud.

“Damn right she is. And she’s going to be over the moon to see you!”

-090-

It still felt like a dream. 

Alice glanced down as the small arms circling her waist tightened again. They both smiled, and Alice hugged Becky back before turning to the conversation once more. 

“We can’t take you all with us in one trip,” she said as they studied the maps. “We don’t have enough vehicles, and neither do you. We can take some of your sick and wounded, though. It’ll be a rough trip back to Raccoon city, but we’re much better set up there to look after them.”

“Not all of us want to leave,” Valentine said, glancing back at a tall man who shadowed her all evening. “Some of us have found a home here.”

“Good.”

Details, set ups. Radio coms and a permanent link with Queenie. Supply depot information, and satellite imagery of hoards and such. They leave them better than they found them, and start heading back.

“So,” Alice said that night as she and Becky curled up on a thin mattress together. “I have something to tell you.” Facing her daughter, and signing.

“What’s that?”

“I met someone, someone really...important to me.” Taking a breath. “We live together, and we want you to come and live with us. As a family.”

“Is that what took you so long?”

“No, no sweetheart. I...had to wait. I knew if anyone could keep you safe, it was Valentine. And I had to trust that she did just that, because I had something else to do. Something very important that might save the whole world.”

“I understand.”

“You do.”

“They tell stories about you here. Alice the hero. They all know your name. The other kids didn’t believe that you were my mom, but tomorrow they’ll see. They’ll know I wasn’t lying or telling stories.”

“You bet they will.” Smiling widely. “Because now that I’m back, you’re stuck with me kiddo.”

“Good.” Smile falling. “Valentine won’t come with us.”

“No, she wants to stay here.” Swallowing hard. “It happens. People...find what they want. And sometimes that means that they leave.”

“I’ll miss her.”

“I will too.”

When Becky is asleep, Alice gets up and finds Valentine. They catch up for a bit. She tells her about Carlos. Asks about Sophie.

“Now that was a clusterfuck from the get go.” Glaring at Alice. “And you leaving didn’t help.”

“I didn’t-!”

“Yes, you did. You abandoned you.”

“You were safe. And I wasn’t. Umbrella was never going to stop haunting me, and you kept having to leave safe zones to run away with me. I left to protect you guys!”

“Fat lot of fucking good that did.”

“Ok, yes. Fine. Sophie?”

She doesn’t know. Lost her trail heading south, almost got caught by zoms. Did get caught by Umbrella. Was a prisoner until Alice set her free. Then got saddled with babysitting for four or five months. And now this.

“It’s been a ride.”

“Yes, it fucking has.”

-090-

They head back. Reunion with Claire. Becky takes to her immediately, and she becomes Becky’s rock when Alice has to head out on her missions. 

-090-

At some point they find Sophie. Big explanation. Killing the virus will kill her, it's keeping too much of her alive. She accepts that, and walks into the wind. She had K-Mart with her, having rescued her from an Umbrella blah blah blah. 

Happy and sad. 

-090-

They find more clones. Alice has to decide what to do with them. Decides to keep them all alive, because killing them feels wrong. She sends them off in small groups around the globe. Doesn’t tell them they’re clones, because Wesker was right about one thing. Thinking you’re the original makes you strive to live harder. They eventually get a team across the ocean, and make contact with a settlement in London. Rebuilding continues.

-090-

Ten years later. Raccoon city is surrounded by a forest. You almost can’t even tell where parts of the fallen city are anymore, it's buried under so much green.

The work isn’t done, but it is moving forward. Humanity is pulling itself together and reaching for the future with both hands. 

Queenie shuts herself off voluntarily, saying she has done all there is to do, and now it is time for them to move on without her help.

Alice is a little said, but says goodbye. 

Unbeknownst to her, Queenie slips into the final batch of clones, determined to see the world for herself. To help humanity by becoming humanity, she steps out into the new world...and never looks back.

The end.


End file.
